Etching device for incandescent and discharge lamp sealing and exhaust machines



March 8, 1955 G. E. CHILDS FOR IN LAMP SEALING AND EXHAUST MACHINES CANDESCENT AND DISCHARGE ETCHING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 26, 1954 1 VENToR.

March 8, 1955 G. E. CHILDS ETCHING `DEVICE FOR INCANDESCENT AND DISCHARGE LAMP SEALINGND EXHAUST MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1954 LA 103 1M m5 M. mw M V/ .E mm m a a@ M M w 0 4. Z 2J 'zag-.i

March 8, 1955 G. E. CHILDS 2,703,523

ETCHING DEVICE FOR INCANDESCENT AND DISCHARGE LAMP SEALING AND EXHAUST MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1954 s sheets-sheet 5 M5 w W 114 United States Patent() ETCHING DEVICE FOR INCANDESCENT AND DISCHARGE LAMP SEALING AND EXHAUST MACHINES Gordon E. Childs, Fairmont, W. Va., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 26, 1954, Serial No. 412,794

2 Claims. (Cl. 101-44) The present invention relates to incandescent and discharge lamp sealing and exhaust machines and, more particularly, to an automatic etching device for such a machine.

Although the etching device of the invention may be employed with any incandescent lamp or discharge lamp sealing or exhaust machine for illustrative purposes solely, the invention will be described for use with a glow discharge lamp exhaust machine.

Glow discharge lamps are often used in the operating circuit of electrical devices (such as sensitive industrial machinery, inspection equipment and electrical appliances) to show whether or not the circuit is alive; to give an indication of the operation of the automatic machinery; to indicate the setting of a machine or the arrangement of the controls. These glow discharge lamps in which the light is generated by a discharge of electricity through a gas, for example neon, are especially satisfactory when visual indication is required.

In the past, the marking for identication of the lamp type on the relatively small glow discharge lamp envelope has been applied by an operator employing a hand operated i Hejne, it has been found advantageous according to the invention to provide an automatic etching device for a lamp sealing or exhaust machine which will automatically mark the lamp type identification on the lamp envelope.

Although automatic etching devices have been employed in the past, the etching device of the invention differs in construction and operation from those of the prior art. Examples of the prior art etching devices are found in U. S. Patent No. 1,992,037, entitled Apparatus for Stamping Articles Having Curved Surfaces, issued to C. A. H. Mulder and assigned to General Elec` tric Co.; U. S. Patent 2,201,302, entitled Printing Device, issued to F. S. Rowe and assigned to the assignee of the subject application; U. S. Patent 2,489,259, entitled Article Comprising and Method of Placing Indicia Thereon, issued to C. E. Bechard and assigned to General Electric Co.

The etching device of the invention has a rubber stamp containing the desired marking mounted in a sector. The sector in turn is pivoted on a slide which can move in and out toward the lamp to be marked. The top face of the sector carries a cam prole which lowers a centering guide by means of a tensioning spring and roller, as the sector rotates. The slide is retarded, except at the moment of marking the lamp, by a slide spring.

An inking roller carried on a roller arm is held against the radial face of the sector by a roller arm spring. This radial face of the sector is used as an inking plate, and the roller, in traversing it (as the sector rotates) picks up a fresh supply of etching ink and transfers it to the stamp. The device may be powered by a small electrical motor and reduction gears which drive a crank wheel. This crank wheel has a recess in its radial face which actuates a crank wheel microswitch and is linked to the sector by a connecting rod.

As the exhaust machine, for example indexes, a lamp is brought under the centering guide by the turret. The exhaust tube of the lamp depresses an exhaust tube microswitch completing a circuit through the crank wheel microswitch to a drive motor which starts turning the crank wheel and revolves the sector. When the sector has rotated about 30 the centering guide drops down over the lamp to be marked, centering the lamp and also r"ice supporting it against the subsequent pressure of the marking stamp. The sector continues to rotate about 60 further until the stamp is lined up with the lamp to be marked. At this point, the leading edge of the sector comes up against a sector stop, which prevents further rotation of the sector. Since the crank throw on the crank wheel is greater than required to produce the above rotation of the sector, further rotation of the crank wheel forces the slide out against the pressure of the slide spring. This presses the stamp into the lamp bulb, and applies the desired etch thereto. The crank wheel continues past the outer dead center, allowing the slide spring to retract the slide. When this has been accomplished, reverse rotation of the sector takes place and the cam face on the top of the sector lifts the centering guide off the lamp bulb. When the follower on the crank wheel microswitch drops into the recess on the crank wheel, the circuit to the motor is broken and the mechanism comes to rest.

During the rotation of the sector, the inking roller has traversed the radial face of the sector, picking up a fresh coating of etching ink which is deposited on the stamp during the return rotation of the sector.

As the exhaust machine indexes, the exhaust tube of the glow lamp is carried off the exhaust tube microswitch, thus again completing the circuitto the motor through the crank wheel microswitch. This causes the crank wheel to rotate a slight amount until the roller follower on the crank wheel microswitch climbs out of the recess on the radial face of the crank wheel, thus breaking the circuit to the motor again. The mechanism is now set to begin a new cycle when the exhaust tube nicroswitch is depressed by the exhaust tube of the next amp.

The etching device of the invention produces a single cycle of the etching operation for each lamp to be marked. The device synchronizes itself with the exhaust or sealing machine without the necessity for a direct connection to the exhaust machine drive. In the event a lamp is missing, the etching device will not cycle, thus preventing the accumulation of an excessive amount of ink on the etching stamp.

In its general aspect the present invention has as its objective an improved automatic etching device for an iicandescent or discharge lamp sealing or exhaust mac me.

Aspecific object of the present invention is an etching device which produces a single cycle of etching operation for each lamp to be marked.

A further object is an etching device which synchronizes itself with an exhaust or sealing machine without having direct connection to the drive of said machine.

An additional object is an etching device which will not cycle when a lamp is missing from a head of an exhaust or sealing machine and thus prevents the accumulation of excessive amounts of ink on the etching stamp.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it apper- 'tains as the description thereof proceeds, both by direct recitation thereof and by implication of the context:

ln the drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the etching device of the invention showing a lamp carrying head just i11- dexed into the etching station of said machine and the actuating of the exhaust tube microswitch by the tubulation of the lamp.

Fig. 2 is a top elevational view of the etching device of Fig. l showing the position of the parts at the start of the etching cycle.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the etching device along the line III-III of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows and showing the crank wheel moved approximately from the starting position and the slide and etching stamp ready to move forward for the etching operation.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the etching device of Fig. 3 along the line IV-lV of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of the etching device in the bulb etching position and showing the position of the parts after the crank wheel has rotated about 180 from the starting position.

Fig. 6 is a top elevational View of the etching device and showing the crank wheel approximately 315 from the starting position and the inking roller in the stamp inking position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 and showing the crank wheel rotated approximately 345 from the starting position and the crank wheel microswitch in engagement with a lowered face portion of the crank wheel.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic wiring diagram of the etching device.

Fig. 9 is a side elevatonal view of a glow discharge lamp which has been etched by the device of the invention.

Lamp

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 9, the reference numeral 10 designates a glow discharge lamp. This lamp 10 has an envelope 12 and an electrode mount 14 sealed thereto. The electrode mount 14 may comprise a vitreous stem 16 having an exhaust tubulaton 18 (Figs. l and 3), leading-in and supporting conductors 20 sealed through said stem and electrodes 22 carried on the inner ends of said leading-in and supporting conductors 20. As shown in Fig. 9, the sealed exhausted lamp 10 may be provided with a base 24 secured about the seal with conventional cement.

Exhaust machine heads 34 through a like number of work stations, and

a stationary table or frame portion 36. At station l of the exhaust machine 30, a glow discharge lamp 10 'may be loaded by manual or automatic means into an exhaust head 34. At station 2, for example, the lamp 10 may be etched by the etching device 40 of the invention.

Etching device frame The etching device 40 has a frame 50 which in the showing in Figs. l and 3 may comprise a lower plate 52 for securement to the stationary table 36 of the machine 30, a plurality of columns or mount rods 54 upstanding from the lower plate 52 and an upper plate 56 carried on the upper ends of the rods 54. A hollow reduction gear box 58 (Figs. l and 3) carried on the upper plate 56 supports a horizontal slide mounting plate 60 which extends substantially beyond the upper plate 56. The left hand end (when viewed in Figs. l through 7), of the slide mounting plate 60 is provided with a vertical anchor pin clearance slot 61 which also serves as a stop for limiting the recovery motion of a slide 102, as hereinafter explained. Suitably adjacent the mid-portions of the slide mounting plate 60 and the gear box 58, an inverted generally U-shaped bulb holder or centering guide bridge 62 is upstanding from the slide mounting plate 60.

Etching device drive Driving means 70 for the etching device 40 (Figs. l and 3) may comprise a fractional horsepower motor suitably affixed to the underside of the top plate 56 of the frame 50. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, a drive shaft 72 extends through the upper plate 56 and is connected by suitable reduction gearing 74 to a vertical crank wheel shaft 76. This vertical shaft 76 is suitably journalled in a lower bushing (Fig. 3) carried by the upper plate 56 and a sleeve type bushing 78 secured within the slide mounting plate 60. The crank wheel shaft 76 extends through the slide plate 60 and carries on its upper end a crank wheel 80, whose outer periphery also serves as a microswitch cam. As shown in Figs. l through 7, the crank wheel 80 is generally cylindrical in shape and its outer periphery is provided with a recess or lowered portion 82 for use with a crank wheel microswitch 90, as hereinafter explained.

Crank wheel microswitch The crank wheel microswitch may be suitably mounted on an adjustable microswitch mounting plate 92 carried by the right end portion (when viewed in Figs. 1 and 3) of the slide mounting plate 60 and pivoted on the crank wheel shaft 76. By pivoting the plate 92 on the shaft 76 the switch 90 may be radially adjusted with respect to the recess 82 of the crank 80. This microswitch 90 shown in Figs. l through 7 has a movable roller arm 94 which carries a roller 95 thereon for engagement with the outer periphery of the crank wheel 80.

Slide The left hand portion (when viewed in Figs. l through 7) of the slide mounting plate 60 carries a pair of longitudinal slide guides 100. The slide 102 is suitably dovetailed into the guides and is horizontally reciprocable therein, as hereinafter explained. The left hand end of the slide 102 (when viewed in Figs. l and 3) carries a depending anchor pin 103 which extends through and substantially beyond the anchor pin slot 61 in the slide mounting plate 60. Slide recovery means 104 extend between the anchor pin 103 and an anchor pin 105 depending from the underside of the slide mounting plate 60. This recovery means 104 may, in the showing of Figs. l and 3, comprise a suitable spring.

A stationary sector shaft or pivot pin 106 is carried by, and is upstanding from, the slide 102. A sector 108 is suitably journalled by means of bushings (Fig. 3) on the pin 106. This sector 108 is retained on the upper threaded end of the pivot pin 106, as by a nut, shown particularly in Figs. l through 7.

Sector The sector 108 is a generally semi-cylindrical plate having a stamp recess 110 cut in its outer generally semicircular periphery for the mounting therein of a suitable stamp 112 for marking the identification of a lamp type on the relatively small glow discharge lamp envelope 12. The right hand end portion (when viewed in Figs. 2 through 7) of the periphery of the sector 108 serves as an inking plate and carries a supply of suitable etching ink for use as hereinafter explained. The left hand end of the top face of the sector 108 carries an inclined bulb holder or centralizing guide cam or prole 114 for use as hereinafter explained. An arcuate connecting rod joins the sector 108 to the crank wheel 80.

Sector stop and inking roller arm A generally U-shaped mounting bracket is carried by the right hand end of the slide 102 (when viewed in Figs. l and 3) suitably between the sector pin 106 and the bulb holder bridge 62. The vertical arms of the bracket 130 may handily extend beyond the slide 102. The horizontal portion of the bracket 130 is sufciently thin to permit clearance between the connecting rod 120 and itself.

When viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, the upper vertical arm of the mounting bracket 130 carries an adiustable sector stop 140. The bottom vertical arm (when viewed in Figs. 2 and 4) carries a horizontal pivot pin mounting plate 142 which extends inwardly toward the slide 102. A horizontal inking roller arm 144 is suitably pivotable on a vertical pivot pin or shaft 146 extending between the plate 142 and the horizontal portion of the mounting bracket 130. As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 4, the inking roller arm 144 carries an inking roller 148. The roller 148 may be mounted on a vertical pin or shaft 150 journalled within arms 152 extending inwardly from the inking roller arm 144 toward the sector 108. Suitable compression means 154 are provided to maintain the roller 148 in engagement with the periphery of the sector 103. The means 154 may comprise a roller arm spring extending from an anchor pin upstanding from the slide 10S'. and another anchor pin depending from the outer portions of the inking roller arm 144.

Bulb [zolder or centering guide As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 4, a horizontal bulb centering guide stop arm is mounted on a spacer block 162 (Fig. l), carried on the horizontal member of the bridge 62. A resilient bulb centering guide arm 164 is secured between the spacer block 162 and the horizontal member of the bridge 62. The outer end of the guide stop arm 160 is provided with a tensioning spring adjusting member 166, which in the instant showing of Figs. 1 and 3 may comprise a headed bolt threadable in the stop arm 160 and carrying a depending spring 168, the lower end of which is in engagement with the tiexible bulb centering guide arm 164.

Suitably below the member 166 the resilient guide arm 164 is provided with a bulb centering guide roller 170 which is maintained in engagement with the bulb centering guide cam 114 on the sector 108 by the adjustable member 166. The outer or left hand end (when viewed in Figs. l through 7) of the resilient guide arm 164, carries an inverted cup-like bulb holder or centering guide 172, suitably contoured to engage and hold the dome of the envelope 12 of the glow discharge lamp 10 in an axial position and to prevent breakage of the exhaust tubulation 18 during the etching operation.

Exhaust tube microswitch An exhaust tube microswitch 180 may be mounted by means of a suitable bracket (Fig. l) to the left hand end portion of the bottom face of the slide mounting plate 60. This switch 180 has a laterally extending tubulation engaging arm 182 (Figs. 2 and 4) for use as hereinafter explained.

Circuit The operating circuit of the etching device 40, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8, has a line 200 extending from one side of a suitable supply through a suitable fuse to one side of the exhaust tube switch 180. A line 202 connects the other side of the switch 180 to the crank wheel switch 90 when both are in their up position, shown in Fig. 8. A line 204 connects the other side of the crank wheel switch 90 to the motor 70. The down positions, shown by the dotted lines (Fig. 8), of the switches 90 and 180 are connected by a line 206. A line 208 connects the other side of the supply through a suitable fuse to the other side of the motor 70.

Operation As a head 34 of the exhaust machine 30 indexes from station l, the lamp loading station, into station 2, the bulb etching station, the tubulation 18 of the lamp 10 engages the contact arm 182 of the exhaust tube switch 180, depressing the arm 182 and moving the switch 180 into the up position shown in Fig. 8.

It will be understood, as shown in Fig. 2, that the roller 95 of the crank wheel switch 90 (at the start of the etching cycle) is in engagement with the raised portion of the periphery of the crank wheel 80 and that the switch is in the up position, shown in Fig. 8.

A closed circuit exists through the conductor 200, exhaust tube switch 180, conductor 202, crank wheel switch 90, conductor 204, motor 70 and conductor 208. The motor 70 is energized and the crank wheel 80 and the sector 104 rotate in a counterclockwise and clockwise direction respectively from the positions shown in Fig. 2.

During the first approximately 120 of counterclockwise rotation of the crank wheel 80 and clockwise rotation of the sector 108 (Figs. 3 and 4), the inking roller 148 rides over the rubber stamp 112, applying ink thereto, and over the inking plate portion of the periphery of the sector 108, picking up ink therefrom. Simultaneously, the bulb centering guide roller 170 on the resilient bulb centering guide arm 164 rides down the inclined cam 114 on the other side of the sector 108. The dome of the envelope 12 of the lamp 10 is secured within the bulb holder 172, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be also understood that the leading edge of the sector 108 is now in engagement with the sector stop 140 and the etching stamp 110 is aligned with the envelope 12 of the lamp 10.

Further rotation of the crank wheel 80 in a counterclockwise direction will cause the sector 108 to force the slide 102 to move to the left, when viewed in Figs. 3 through 5, against the pressure of the slide spring 104. Since the sector 108 is restrained from further rotation by the stop 140, the connecting rod 120 forces the slide 102 and the sector 108 and stop 140 to move to the left (when viewed in Fig. to imprint lamp type identification marking on the envelope 12 of the lamp 10.

The crank wheel 80 is rotated further from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. .6, approximately 330 from its starting position. Since the crank wheel has moved past the dead center, the recovery spring 104 has returned the slide 102 and the sector 108 and the stop 140 carried thereon to its position, shown in Fig. 4. The connecting rod then reverses the former rotation of the sector 108 and rotates the sector 108 in a counterclockwise direction from position shown in Fig. 5, to the position shown in Fig. 6 where the rubber stamp 112 again engages the inking roller 148.

Simultaneously, the guide roller on the resilient bulb centering guide arm 164 rides up the inclined cam 114 on the sector 108, thus raising the bulb holder 172 above the envelope 12 of the lamp 10 to permit the indexing thereof from station 2, the etching station to station 3 of the exhaust machine 30.

As the crank wheel 80 rotates about 15 further from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7 the roller 95 of the switch 90 encounters the lowered portion 82 in the periphery of the crank wheel 80 and the switch 90 is moved from the up to the down position, shown in Fig. 8. This breaks the circuit to the motor 70 and the crank wheel 80 ceases to rotate. Indexing of the exhaust machine head 34 rolls the exhaust tubulation 18 off the arm 182 of the exhaust tube switch 180, thus moving the switch from its up" position to its down position shown in Fig. 8.

This completes a circuit to the motor 70 through conductor 200, exhaust tube switch 180, conductor 206, crank wheel switch 90, conductor 204, and conductor 208. The motor 70 then moves the crank wheel 80 in a counterclockwise direction so that the roller 95 leaves the lowered portion 82 of the crank wheel 80 and engages the normally raised portion thereof, thus moving switch 90 from its down position to its up position, shown in Fig. 8 and breaking the circuit to the motor 70.

It will be understood that the tubulation 18 of a lamp 10 held in the next indexing head 34 coming into station 2 engages the arm 182 of the switch 180 (as hereinbefore described) to move the switch 180 from its down position to its up position, shown in Fig. 8 and restarting the etching cycle.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. An etching device for an incandescent and discharge lamp exhaust machine having at least a frame, a rotatable crank wheel on said frame, means on said frame for rotating said wheel, crank wheel contact means on said frame and operable by said wheel to intermittently actuate said Wheel rotating means, a slide reciprocable on said frame, a sector rotatable on said slide, marking means on said sector, means for connecting said sector and said wheel, means on said frame for limiting the rotation of said sector, inking means on said frame in engagement with said sector, and exhaust tube contact means on said frame and operable by an exhaust tube of a lamp to intermittently actuate said wheel rotating means.

2. An etching device for an incandescent and discharge lamp exhaust machine having at least a frame, a rotatable crank wheel on said frame, means on said frame for rotating said wheel, crank wheel contact means on said frame and operable by said wheel to intermittently actuate said wheel rotating means, a slide reciprocable on said frame, a sector rotatable on said slide, marking means on said sector, bulb centering guide cam actuating means on said sector, means for connecting said sector and said wheel, means on said frame for limiting the rotation of said sector, inking means on said frame in engagement with said sector, exhaust tube contact means on said frame and operable by an exhaust tube of a lamp to intermittently actuate said wheel rotating means, and a cam actuated bulb centering guide on said frame above said sector and said wheel for centering and supporting a amp.

No references cited. 

